Telephone attachment.



No. 854,971. PATENTED MAY 28, 1907.

E. B. THOMAS.

TELEPHONE ATTACHMENT. APPLIOATIOK FILED mm: 29, 1906.

6 15.7'Zlozzid8 EDWARD B. THOMAS, :01 COLUMBUS, orno.

TELEPHONE, ATTACHMENT.

"Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1907.

Application 'filed June 29,1906. Serial No. 324,073.

T (alt whom may concern:-

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. vTHOMAS, tensions 5 and bent inwardly against either a citizen 'of the United States, residing at Columbus, in. the county of Franklin and I State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone Attachments, of which the following is "a specification... c

A Theypresent invention-is in the nature of an index attachment for telephones and con-' sists essentially of a peculiarly -constructed case containing a number of systematically arranged cards upon which any desired data may be placed, and provided with a bracket by'means of,which it can be readily attachedto the mouth-piece of a telephone transmitter.

The object of the invention is to provide an attachment of this character which while very compact in its structure is adapted to -receive a large amount of data and hold it in a classified condition so as to; be instantly accessible.

For a full understandin of the invention,

and the merits thereof an also to acquire a Corresponding and like parts .knowledge ofthe details of construction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to'be had to. the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective viewshowing the attachment appliedto atelephone transmitter; Fig.- 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view on h-the same; Fig. 3 is a'horizontal sectional view through the case; Fi 4 is a perspective view of the device with t e cards removed and thesides of, the case swung apart; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view through one end of the case Fig.- 6 is a detail erspective view of one of the index cards. Fig. 7 is a detail fragmentary view illustratg that-end of the supporting bracket that is connected to the case.-

' l are referred to in the followin description and indicated in all the views 0 the drawings by the same reference characters. l

The case 1 of the attachment is shown as formed; of a single .piece'of sheet material and comprises .essentially'a front 2 and back 3 which are both, preferably, in the form ;of rectangular frames and connected'along their lower edges by the base piece 4. The

opposite ends of the front and back are formed with the extensions 5 which are bent at approximately right angles to the planes of the front and back and overlap each other to form the ends of the case. 'A pair ;of cars I sired purpose.

the front or back, according to which of the members the extension 5 is made integral-with. These ears 6 form leans for holding the cards 7 in position whidlifit over the openin s in {'6 is shownas stamped fromeach of the exthe front and'back of the case, and w ich may be used for advertising pr any other de-' In order to hold the members of the case securely together, tongues 8 are formed along the edges of the outer extensions 5 and these tongues areadapted to enter and engage with the openings produced by cutting the ears 6 in the opposite extens1on. mouth of the case from opposite ends thereof and-in the practical construction of the case, these flanges are,' preferably, made integral .with the extensions 5. A series of index cards 10 fit loosely'within the case 1 and are formed Flanges 9 project inwardly at the at their lower portions with the end extenupon the card. With this construction, it will be apparent that when it is desired to inspect any one-of the cards, this can be readily accomplished by grasping the tab 12 upon the "desired card and withdrawing the said card until-the end extensions 11 engage with the inwardly extending flanges 9.

Thebracket 13b which the case 1 is held in position may be ormed of the same materia as that employed in" the construction of the case and comprises a body ortio'n 14 provided at one end with means or attachment to the 'case, While the opposite end,is

enlarged and formed with the openingv 15 adapted to receive the threaded portion of the mouth-piece of an, ordinary telephone transmitter.- The end of the bracket 13 connected to the case lis reduced in width to form the oppositely disposed shoulders 16 (see Fig. 7) and split longitudinally to form the tongues 17 These two tongues 17 are passed through the slot 18 in the back 3 ,so that the shoulders 16 abut against the latter, and the said tongues are then bent in opposite directions at approximately right angles to the plane of the bracket and pass through openings 1 9 in the front and back,respectively,

of the case. In-thismanner a rigid connection is formed between the two members which prevents any front and back or side tilting of the case.

In applying the attachment to a telephone, the threaded ortion of the mouth-piece is assed throug the opening and the enarged portion of the bracket clamped between tie front of the'transmitter and the shoulder around the threaded portion of the mouth-piece, so as to hold the case in an upright and 'readily accessible position.

formation of the index cards 10with theend extensions 11 adapted to engage with the inwardly extending flanges 9 has the great advantage of preventing the cards from s illing out of the case, should the telephone e accidentally knocked over or should the mouth- 1 and a bracket connected to the case and ro-.

piece become loosened so as to allow the case to swing downwardly and assume an inverted position.

Having thusdescribed the invention, what is claimed as new is: t v

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a case formed of a single piece of sheet material and comprising a front and a back connected along one of their edges by a base and provided attheir ends with extensions which are bent inwardly and overlap each other to formthe ends of the case, a series of cards fitting loosely within the case,

vided with means whereby it can be attac ed to a telephone transmitter.

2 In a telephone attachmengthe' combination of a case comprising a front and back which are in the nature of frames and-have one of their, corresponding edges connected by a base, the said front and back being inwardly to form the ends of the case and] formed with end extensions which are bent have ears stain ed therefrom which are bent inwardly to ho d cards over the'op'enings in the back and front,' a series of index cards fitting loosely within the case, and a bracket secured to the case and rovided with means whereby is can be readi y attached to a telephone transmitter.

3. In a telephone attachment, the combination of. a case comprising a front and backconnected by ends and a base, 'a-series of index cards fitting loosely within the case, a bracket, one end ofwhich is passed through the base and formed with tongues which engage with the front and back of the case, while the opposite end of the bracket is provided withmeans whereby it can be readily attached to a tele hone transmitter.

4. In a telep ione attachment, the combination of a case comprising a front-and back connected by ends and a base, a series of in, dex cards fitting loosely within the case, and a bracket formed with shoulders toward one end thereof, the said end of the bracket being passed through the base of the case until the shoulders engage therewith and then bent to form a rigid connection between the two members, the said bracket being also provided with means whereby it can be readily attached to a tele hone transmitter.

5. In an attac 'ment for telephones, the

' combination of a .case comprising a front and back connected by ends and a base, a series of index cards fitting loosely within the case,

.and a standard having one end thereof restamped out ears extending inwardly therefrom, and adapted to maintain a card in place in the case, said opposite or overlapping extensions being provided with tongues adapted to enter the openings formed by the stamped out ears, whereby to secure the respective extensions together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD B. THOMAS. [11.8.]

Witnesses:

' WM. R. Rosa, E.-T. 'FARLEY. 

